Time to light the torch and polish the pitchfork

Remarks made by California Federation of Teachers President Marty Hittelman would be funny if they weren't so eerily reminiscent of life in a police state.

Hittelman, whose comments appear prominently on a page of wholesale giant Costco's website as part of a "dialogue" and survey about whether parents should have to be certified to teach their own children, is a scary man.

Sadly, his opinion is shared by far too many Americans and for this reason all homeschoolers should beware.

"Homeschoolers should be required to deliver quality instruction, and their efforts should not result in students falling behind."

It's always nice to be presumed guilty until you can prove your innocence. In other words, Hittelman assumes upfront that homeschooling parents on the whole are not delivering quality instruction and because of this their children are falling behind.

The man teaches math at the college level. This would lead us to believe he's pretty smart, yes? Would it hurt him to take fifteen minutes to research online the documented successes of home educated kids before making such an asinine statement?

In support of state oversight of homeschoolers Hittelman goes on to say, "A homeschool teacher may be a natural teacher but lack necessary training and supervision."

Oh.

So this means that I should probably hire someone to make sure I'm dressing my children appropriately, brushing their teeth just so, planning balanced meals, and all other manner of child maintenance even though I'm already doing those things just fine because, after all, I'm only their mother and I can't possibly learn or understand what they need to develop their intellects.

If I need training and supervision to follow a scripted math curriculum, to pick out books on a reading list, and to make sure my children actually read the books and pass the math tests included in their workbooks, I must need help in keeping my kids safe and healthy, right?

Is this guy serious????? When did teaching the Three R's become so complicated that it should not be tried at home? Juggling children in all the other areas of their lives is infinitely more challenging. So why doesn't Hittelman advocate that all parents should be supervised in all aspects of child raising? Where does homeschooling end and "regular" parenting begin?

Hittelman, like so many homeschooling critics, has failed to think through his arguments or he'd know that education is interwoven into the very lives of homeschooling families. It would be hard, if not impossible, to tease apart that which he thinks the state should oversee (academics) versus that in which the state should have no say (dental hygeine, nutrition, choice of clothing).

I remind you, the man is teaching college level math and this is as good as the reasoning and research skills get.

But wait, there's more.

Hittelman goes on to say, "We believe the best education comes about when parents are involved in their children's public school education. We'd prefer homeschooling parents work with their local public schools so that all students are assured of a standards-based education."

Of course professional teachers like Hittelman would "prefer" us to turn our children over to the public schools. And sadly, folks like him really believe in their heart of hearts this is what's best for kids. It's not about academics, it's about control. And job security.

What Hittelman fails to grasp, however, is that parental authority over one's children must always trump that of the state unless grave and imminent harm can be shown. As for a "standards-based" education, I invite you, dear reader, to do a little digging into what California holds up as its standards. Google phrases such as "communism in California classrooms," "alternative lifestyle education in California classrooms," "religious instruction in California classrooms" and see if you are comfortable with the so-called standards Mr. Hittelman proudly touts.

As if I need any proof to back my longstanding claim that public education in America is at an all-time low, I leave you with a quote from someone on the Costco site who, most likely, received her education in one of our nation's public schools.

The contributor writes, "Society is struggling to find educated, well-rounded people to employ. Educate kids with trained educators."

Nevermind that IN SPITE OF educating several generations of children with "trained educators" we are struggling to find educated people to employ.

No, never mind.

What else is made in China?

Cruelty. It's mass produced along with all the widgets and gew-gaws Americans apparently cannot live without.

The Chinese are cruel to their women -- forced abortions are the norm.
They are cruel to their political prisoners -- self explanatory.
They are cruel to their Christians -- churches are closed, Bibles are banned, and the faithful can be imprisoned.
And, leaving no one out of the circle of madness, the Chinese are cruel to their animals.

Yep, WorldNetDaily reports that the Chinese don't meet even the minimum standards of animal care when it comes to creatures raised for food or fur.

I don't eat meat. This is a personal choice.
I don't wear fur. This is also a personal choice, albeit one I'm more likely to share with folks whether they want me to or not. Fur clothing makes sense if you live anywhere inside the Arctic Circle, otherwise it's vanity as well as downright tacky.

But many Americans don't share my disgust at the thought of having skinned animal remains draped over their shoulders or covering their backs, consequently they buy fur coats, fur purses, fur trimmed gloves, scarves, and all other manner of foolishness.

You know those cute fuzzy toys that look like long-haired rabbits or cats that you see in some import stores? If the fur is very soft and silky and the toy was made in China you can be fairly certain some animal died a horrific death as part of the manufacturing process.

Here in America, when we kill our animals for fur we use "humane" things like anal probes that shoot hundreds of volts of electricity into their victims. This kills the fox or ermine or raccoon or whatever critter some moron wants to wear without damaging the pelt.

But China isn't nearly as sophisticated. The Chinese have been caught on film by both Swedish and American animal welfare organizations skinning their animals ALIVE. Literally.

Foxes, dogs (!), raccoons -- not stunned, not anesthesized first in any way. Just scooped up and skinned as they screamed and writhed in unimaginable agony.

All in the name of profit, vanity, and foolishness.

And, yes, a dog can scream. (I used to work at an animal shelter and witnessed severely injured dogs being treated, but not before they made such a ruckus we all nearly went deaf.)

There's not much we can do to change the mindset of another culture. After all, the Chinese could easily point the finger back at us for the way in which some of our livestock are handled before they are slaughtered for food.

But there IS a lot we can do individually and collectively to stop the fallout of Chinese animal cruelty for the sake of fashion from coming ashore.

If you have a choice between buying a product made in China and one made elsewhere, choose Elsewhere.

If you have a choice between buying the "real" fur covered toy or item of clothing and one that's made of synthetic or "faux" fur, choose the latter.

The Chinese government is not interested in treating its citizens humanely, and its animals are treated even worse.

Just say no to China-made goods!

Remembering Mary

Mary M. Merritt, the mother of my lifelong and much beloved friend Jennifer Meier left us on August 11. While her passing was not completely unexpected it nevertheless leaves those of us who knew her with one less rock to cling to in turbulent times.

When Jennifer asked if I'd be willing to speak at Mary's memorial service and I agreed, she told me her mother had little patience for wailing and whining and wouldn't want us telling any stories that would make people cry. With thirty years of memories and roughly five minutes to say my piece, I left 'em laughing even as my heart grieved the passing of a remarkable mother and businesswoman.

In loving remembrance of Mary I offer up to you, dear 'blog readers, my remarks delivered at her service on Aug. 16. I hope that by reading them you, too, will catch a glimpse of a person the world can ill afford to be without.

My name is Marjorie Westmoreland and Mary’s daughter Jennifer and I have been best friends for 30 years. I love Mary and consider it a privilege to speak about her today.

I first met Mary a couple of weeks after Jennifer and I became friends in the sixth grade. I’d been invited to come over to their house after school and Jennifer and I were sitting in her room talking and listening to music when Mary came in from her job as a realtor. She stuck her head in the door and Jennifer introduced me.

“Mmm,” she said, nodding in my direction unsmilingly, “Nice to meet you. Don’t forget the kitchen needs cleaning.”

And with that she turned on her heel and walked away.

Was she talking to me? I wondered. I stayed to help wash dishes that night just in case.

Something told me I didn’t want to get crossways with Mary -- not if I knew what was good for me.

One of Jennifer’s old boyfriends found this out the hard way. Neither Jennifer nor I can recall exactly what he did wrong but Mary got so mad at him she chased him out of her house waving a pistol. We don’t know whether the gun was loaded but knowing Mary, it probably was.

Then there was the time when we were in high school and Mary overheard us talking about the possibility of Jennifer getting a tattoo. Mary waited until I left to tell Jennifer that if she ever came home actually wearing a tattoo she could expect to have it scrubbed off with a wire brush dipped in a bucket of salt.

Mary wasn’t intimidated by official credentials, either. I was in the hospital room the morning that Jennifer’s son Jacob was born. The head nurse hardly had a chance to clean him up and wrap him in a blanket before Mary stepped forward, held out her arms and said firmly, “Give him to me.” The nurse obeyed and quickly. I also witnessed Mary talking her way out of a speeding ticket on at least two occasions. Unruffled, she simply told the officer she didn’t think she was going too fast and both times, much to my amazement, they let her go with nothing more than a warning.

Over the years, Mary got to where she treated me like family – giving me chores when I came to the house and telling me what to say and do. She even took me out to West Texas to visit the relatives a couple of times where I survived a tornado and all sorts of other dangerous fun. My mother said she never worried when Mary was in charge because she knew I’d be kept safe.

I guess it’s a good thing my mom never saw Mary getting ready for work back when she owned the real estate office. She’d be standing in the bathroom fixing her hair with a lit cigarette in one hand and a can of aerosol hairspray in the other. It’s a wonder she didn’t blow the roof off the house.

Like any good mother, Mary never failed to feed me (her slow-cooked beans were some of the best) and she never failed to acknowledge all the milestones in my life -- graduations, marriage, and the births of each of my four children. As if her own children and grandchildren weren’t enough to keep up with! She was from the generation that didn’t just send a card or an email to congratulate you on a new baby. She came to visit, bringing a gift and staying a respectable two hours give or take. She loved babies and it was the birth of my son last year that brought her out to our home in Cypress. That was the last time I saw her.

Mary’s tire store was just around the corner from my parents’ house and my dad always bought his tires there. He liked visiting with Mary because they were culturally and politically on the same page. My dad never failed to comment on what a smart lady that Mary Merritt was.

Every once in awhile I’d be listening to one of the local AM radio talk shows when I’d hear a familiar voice coming through the speaker. Mary had strong opinions about things and she wasn’t afraid to call in and share them with the fourth largest city in America.

I always admired Mary because she was plain-spoken – you knew where you stood with her at all times. She referred to silly, stupid or irrational people as “fools” and she used that word a lot. She didn’t mince words, put on airs, or try to keep up with the Joneses. Widowed at a young age with three children to raise, she was too busy to worry about what other people thought. She was a self-made woman long before feminism became fashionable and the fact that her daughters grew up to be remarkable wives and mothers themselves is perhaps Mary’s greatest legacy. She lived boldly and honestly and in doing so set the example for all of us.

Debbie, Susan, and my most beloved friend Jennifer, your mother was one in a million and I am so grateful to have known her all these years. I pray that God will pour out His peace and blessing upon your hearts and in your lives.

Otherwise, He, too, will have to answer to your mom and we all know who’ll win that argument!

Whose law?

The media reports that the Florida chapter of a group called the United American Committee has paid to have billboards posted with the words, "Sharia law is hate."

Their aim is to get Americans thinking about the Islamic system of law that does not recognize any separation between church and state. Sharia law is already accepted as an alternative form of legal process in Canada for Muslims living there, and some British Muslims are lobbying to have it incorporated into British law, too.

The UAC says it wants Americans to be thinking now about what might happen if Sharia law were to be proposed as an alternative legal process in this country.

The head of the Florida chapter rightly notes that Sharia is incompatible with the ideology set forth in the U.S. Constitution.

The group's use of the word "hate" has generated controversy, with some calling it too extreme a word. Again the UAC is unapologetic in its choice.

Florida UAC director Alan Kornman is quoted in an article appearing on WorldNetDaily's website as saying, "For those people calling me hateful, then they would have to condone child marriages, amputations for stealing and death for apostates to name only a few punishments attached to Sharia law. If my critics condone this type of activity under any circumstances, then it is they who are hateful towards anyone who is non-Muslim and should look into their own mirror before crying hate speech," he said.

Should sharia law ever be allowed to exist side by side in America as a legitimate means of adjudication? Not unless Congress is willing and ready to dismantle our constitutionally-based system of justice.

The folks in D.C. often have their heads stuck in darn and unmentionable places, but I am fairly certain even they wouldn't want their lives ruled by a system that penalizes adulterers with stoning or lashing and punishes thieves by amputation.

Who'd be left on Capitol Hill?

Religious persecution is STILL a problem

If you thought religious persecution went the way of lions in the Coliseum or Hitler's Germany, you are encouraged to ponder the following 'blog entry.



As it turns out, persecution for reasons of faith is alive and well in roughly 50 countries worldwide. The targets? We all know the Jews are continually under fire. But are they alone? Nope. Christians, either born into the faith or converts from Islam, Hinduism, or athiesm are actively targeted and their stories are compelling.



American Christians have it pretty good. We've got the Constitution with its fabulous First Amendment, a plethora of bookstores, churches, private schools, radio stations and cable television broadcasts -- all ways to share our faith with others or rejuvenate ourselves.



Try reading the Bible in public in, say, Pakistan or Azerbaijan or Saudi Arabia or China and see what happens.



Better yet, try starting up a church and inviting the public to come.



If you do this in Vietnam, Libya, Morocco, or Cuba, you could face imprisonment or death.



With the start of the Olympics in Beijing -- from where, by the way, the Chinese government has made it a point to move out as many religious protesters as possible -- I think it's worthwhile for Christians of all denominations to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are openly threatened.



We must recognize that Christian persecution is about more than public schools substituting the words "Winter Break" for "Christmas" or about a mouthy bunch of weenies demanding that an old Bible be removed from its hazy acrylic case in front of the city courthouse.



It's about men and women so committed to the teachings of Christ that they are willing to risk their lives to practice their faith. It's about children orphaned because their parents are imprisoned or killed. It's about nations that DO have religious freedom failing to call out those that don't.



Our faith is nothing if we don't live it. I've seen the ads for Voice of the Martyrs for years but never bothered to investigate its cause until recently. I am changed because I finally took a minute or two to learn more. I am ashamed because I should have done it sooner.



To that end, I have decided to pledge my support for the mission of VOM. I hope some of you reading this will take a minute or two to research the issue for yourselves and do the same.



Visit the website http://www.persecution.com/ to learn more about Voice of the Martyrs, a hands-on help to persecuted Christians since 1967 or http://www.michaeljobcenter.com/ to find out more about Christian children orphaned as a result of their parents' determination to demonstrate their faith.

Davy Crockett said it best

"You can all go to hell. I'm going to Texas." -- D. Crockett

Yep. It's been awhile since I've had that over-the-top belt-bustin' feelin' of pride about my native Lone Star State. You know, what with our wishy-washy attitude about how best to uphold the law of the land regarding immigration, the ongoing (laughable if they weren't so pitiful) public education problems, and the ridiculously high property taxes that suck dry the bank accounts of far too many homeowners.

But last night was a good night. Our state gave the figurative middle finger to the United Nations World Court and put to death one of the most notorious criminals to grace Huntsville State Prison in recent memory.

Jose Medellin was 18 and an illegal immigrant from Mexico when he led a gang initiation in T.C. Jester Park 15 years ago. That initiation culminated in the prolonged torture and rape of two girls, ages 15 and 14.

One of the guys in this nauseatingly brutal case has already met his Maker. Two others had sentences commuted to life and yet another got 40 years.

Medellin whined and complained for FIFTEEN years that he was denied access to Mexican consul services at the time of his arrest. Funny thing is, he was in jail for four years before he bothered to say so. Guess it took him awhile to figure out an angle.

This creative argument caught the attention of some do-gooders at the United Nations who called on President Bush and Congress to stop the planned madness -- the LEGAL execution of Medellin -- at once.

We said, "No."

Texas did the right thing putting Medellin to death. He was a coward, the worst kind of coward, the kind who would lie to save his own sorry butt regardless of the fact that his actions permanently ruined the lives of two families and sent shock waves through an entire community.

I hope Jennifer Ertmann and Elizabeth Pena and their families can at last rest in peace.

I can't say the same for Jose Medellin. He's got a lot to atone for and my guess is that this will keep him very busy, what with having to swim through all those lakes of fire and such.

As for those who like to argue that the death penalty doesn't deter criminals so we should abolish it, I'd like to share what an editor of mine once said. "I don't care whether the death penalty deters criminals from committing crimes. We know it permanently prevents them from ever doing it again, and that, to me, is its real value."

Yep.

"The eyes of Texas are upon you, all the live long day. The eyes of Texas are upon you, you cannot get away . . ."

Much too late at night . . .

Sitting up, listening to the radio while I write, I am thinking about a lot of different things but none with an obvious common thread.

My oldest daughter has developed a fascination with harpsichords and I am trying to find someone in our area who has one and would be willing to give her a demonstration. She cried today when I told her we could not possibly buy one of our own. We already have two pianos, an antique reed organ, a French horn, and a guitar. Not to mention castanets, a tambourine, shaker eggs, maracas, and a triangle. We'd have to put a harpsichord out on the back patio, next to the plastic wading pool. Nice.

Reparations for slavery. No. The children have already been held accountable for the sins of the fathers and that's enough. It's impossible to move forward if we're determined to stay mired in the past. We can't have it both ways. Sen. Phil Gramm got booted from the McCain campaign for calling us a nation of whiners. The truth hurts.

Presidential candidates. I don't like either of them. Where's my viable third choice?

My youngest just turned one. We call him Puffcookie because he is both puffy and sweet.

Poetry isn't as popular as it should be. Neither is common sense.